Vote Moran!

I had a lovely surprise recently - I won a competition I'd forgotten I'd entered!  This is how, thanks to Ebury Publishing, I ended up with a signed copy of Caitlin Moran's latest book, 'Moranifesto'.  And because it was something I really wanted to read, I'm afraid I went off list again...

'Moranifesto' by Caitlin Moran
(Ebury Press, 2016)

In 'Moranifesto', Ms Moran eases to the fore the more political aspects of her writing.  This is a woman who manages to cover both 'parties' (Noun: Social gatherings or celebrations, often involving food, music and copious amounts of gin) and 'parties' (Noun: Collections of people with shared political ideologies and aims, usually to get elected and/or bring down the PM/tease Jeremy Corbyn).  As a result, this book covers everything from hipsters, the uncooperative nature of printers, fame, TV, the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee to feminism, tax, social mobility, FGM, the ruling elite, equality, wind turbines and more.  It is indeed as wide, varied and potentially powerful as a manifesto, full of energy and ideas.  If only manifestos were this grounded and readable.

There are three things I want to get out of the way first:

1. This book is too expensive.  I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Moran's previous collections and was thrilled when I found that another was out, but going into the bookshop and seeing a price tag of £20 made me baulk.  If I hadn't been given a copy, this review wouldn't have appeared until after the paperback was published or I'd got a copy from the library.
2. This book is too long.  While I enjoyed so much of this book and respect that there was a delicate balance going on, where the editors were trying to ease fans of the funny, everyday, social observation pieces into the tougher, witty, political and polemical parts, I do feel some sections didn't really work.  And. weirdly, although they only happened four years ago, the Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics already feel like ancient history, unlike the contemporary commentary offered by most of the articles.
3. The typos were distracting.  Publishers: If you can't afford proofreaders, there are plenty of people like me out there who would quite happily read your forthcoming books and point out any errors.  And I bet a lot would do it in exchange for free books.  It's the barter economy.  (Honest.  I'm not really just looking for a new way to get free books.)

So, now I've got that off my chest, I can go back to waving a banner in support of Moran.  I really liked 'Moranifesto'.  It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me cheer.  It drew a link between the ordinary and the powerful that needs to be reasserted so that ordinary people can re-engage with politics in a meaningful way.  At its best, this is a book of thoughts and ideas representative of a wider discourse that is happening in homes, pubs, staff rooms, cars, streets all over the UK.  It's echos are even being heard on radio and TV.

The news can often make it seem like we're small and insignificant, swept up on a tsunami of decision making designed to fuel a better future for other people, while drowning out all opportunity and hope for us and the people we love.  It's books like this one that make you realise that you're not alone or imagining it, that other people, with voices in the media, are also going "WTF?"

So, while I would've liked this book to be a bit braver and unembarrassed by being political, I do feel it's another step in a march towards a greater debate.  It's books like 'Moranifesto' which will inspire and motivate the politically alienated and apathetic in a way carefully rehearsed, PR-approved speeches and dense, complicated manifestos never will.  Whether you agree with it or not, it will get you thinking and, hopefully, talking.

Look!  It really is a signed copy!

What would I like Moran to do next?  I'm tempted to say "Deeds not words", but that's easier said than done, isn't it?  It's one thing to stick your head above the parapet and say things aren't right, but quite another to come up with practical ways to change things.  But getting people talking is a start.  And giving me a copy of the book definitely got me talking.  On top of that, I'll share and debate this book with other people too.  I've heard that's how revolutions happen.

Speaking of which, I wonder how Ross Poldark is getting on in revolutionary France?  Time to get back to 'The Black Moon'...

Related Posts

'Moranthology' by Caitlin Moran - Starts with one of the funniest things I've ever read.
'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran - Common sense feminism for the everyday.